How to Become a Teacher in New Jersey: Tests, Fees and Routes

By the Transforming Education editorial team. Every fact on this page was checked against the source linked beside it on November 7, 2026.

No degree yet: the traditional route

For high school students, college students and anyone without a bachelor's degree. You earn the degree and the teacher preparation in one program.

Certificate of Eligibility with Advanced Standing (CEAS), Traditional Route

The CEAS is for candidates who complete an approved New Jersey educator preparation program, including professional education coursework that ends in supervised clinical practice, and who meet the academic study and test requirements. The preparation program nominates the candidate for the CEAS. After a district hires the candidate it requests a provisional certificate, and the teacher completes the Provisional Teacher Process before receiving the permanent standard certificate.

1. Earn at least a bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university.
2. Meet the minimum cumulative GPA of 3.00 (2.75 for graduates before September 1, 2016), or use the GPA and Praxis flexibility rule.
3. Complete an approved New Jersey educator preparation program with supervised clinical practice.
4. Pass the required Praxis subject test for the endorsement.
5. Meet the physiology and hygiene requirement through military training, a qualifying college course, or the online test.
6. Accept the program's nomination for the CEAS in NJEdCert and pay the fee.
7. Get hired, complete the Provisional Teacher Process, and receive the standard certificate.

Source: nj.gov

Bachelor's in another field: the alternative route

For people who already hold a bachelor's degree in a subject other than education.

Certificate of Eligibility (CE), Alternate Route

The CE is for candidates who have not completed a teacher preparation program but meet the degree, GPA, academic study and test requirements, and it lets the holder seek a teaching job in New Jersey public schools. Before starting work, candidates complete 50 hours of pre-professional experience with an approved CE program provider. Once hired, they teach on a provisional certificate while completing the Provisional Teacher Process, including at least 30 weeks of mentoring and the remaining 350 hours of formal instruction.

1. Earn at least a bachelor's degree with a minimum 3.00 GPA (2.75 for graduates before September 1, 2016).
2. Pass the required Praxis subject test and meet the basic skills and physiology and hygiene requirements.
3. Apply for the CE through NJEdCert.
4. Complete 50 hours of pre-professional experience with an approved CE educator preparation program.
5. Get hired; the district requests a provisional certificate and enrolls you in the Provisional Teacher Process.
6. Complete mentoring, the remaining 350 hours of formal instruction, and two effective or highly effective annual ratings within three years.
7. Receive the standard certificate after the district recommends you and you complete the oath and payment in NJEdCert.

Source: nj.gov

Changing careers into teaching in New Jersey

If you already have a bachelor's degree and some years in another job, start with the alternative route described above. It is built for people who did not study education. The 15 programs below are on the state's approved list.

For pay context, the median annual wage for high school teachers in New Jersey was $82,200 in May 2025, according to the BLS OEWS state estimates. If your background matches a subject on the state's shortage list, that list is further down this page.

State-approved alternative certification programs

Programs shown are a selection from the state's approved list, checked November 7, 2026. "Online" reflects what the program or the state says about its coursework; teaching practice is always in a real school. The full, current list is on the agency's approved-program page.

Licensed in another state

For teachers who hold a license from another state and want to teach in New Jersey.

Reciprocity

Out-of-state teachers must hold a license equivalent to the New Jersey certificate type, subject area and grade level. Holders of a valid standard certificate from another state need at least two effective years of teaching within three consecutive years, documented on the Record of Professional Experience form, or a National Board certificate in the equivalent area. Holders of a CEAS-equivalent license must have completed a preparation program with student teaching and passed a subject-matter test, and CE-equivalent holders may enroll in the Alternate Route Interstate Reciprocity Pilot Program at Rowan University or Rutgers University-Newark.

1. Confirm that your out-of-state license matches the New Jersey certificate type, subject and grade level.
2. For a standard certificate, document at least two effective years of teaching within three consecutive years on the Record of Professional Experience form, or hold a matching National Board certificate.
3. For a CEAS, show completion of a preparation program with student teaching and a passing subject-matter test.
4. Meet the physiology and hygiene requirement.
5. Apply and pay the fee through the NJEdCert system.

Source: nj.gov

Required tests, codes and qualifying scores

New Jersey uses Praxis for teacher licensure. The table lists the core tests by license area, with the qualifying score and fee exactly as the source publishes them. Which tests you take depends on the license area you are seeking, so check the full list for your subject before you register.

Scores and fees change. Confirm both on the testing company's page before you register.

Fees, background check and license validity

Background check

The Office of Student Protection runs criminal history checks through the New Jersey State Police and the FBI for people seeking work in public, charter, nonpublic and approved private schools. New applicants pay the administrative fee online, then schedule fingerprinting with Idemia, and the approval appears in the Applicant Approval Employment History about two weeks later. The applicant pays all background check fees, which the employer may choose to reimburse. Fee: $68.98 fingerprinting plus $10 administrative fee and $1 service charge. Source

Your first license

License: Certificate of Eligibility (CE) or Certificate of Eligibility with Advanced Standing (CEAS), followed by a Provisional certificate. It is valid for Provisional certificate valid up to 2 years (expires July 31 of the second year), renewable once. The CE or CEAS lets the holder seek employment. The hiring district requests the provisional certificate, and candidates cannot apply for it directly. Completing the Provisional Teacher Process leads to the permanent standard certificate. Source

Renewal

The New Jersey standard certificate is a permanent certificate. The agency pages describe no renewal cycle for it; the district requests it after mentoring, evaluations and program completion are verified. Source

Teacher pay in New Jersey

Elementary teachers in New Jersey earned a median of $78,200 a year in May 2025, $14,230 above the national median of $63,970. Half of teachers in each occupation earn more than the median and half earn less. What you earn in a given district depends on its salary schedule, your experience and any graduate credits.

Annual wages, cross-industry estimates, from the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics May 2025 state tables, retrieved through the BLS Public Data API on November 7, 2026. Special education teachers are shown separately; our guide to the online master's in special education covers the add-on and initial-license options.

Teacher shortage areas, 2026-27

New Jersey reported these subject areas to the US Department of Education as teacher shortage areas for the 2026-27 school year.

• Career and Technical Education (statewide)
• English as a Second Language: Bilingual Education, English as a Second Language (statewide)
• Mathematics (statewide)
• Science (statewide)
• Special Education (statewide)
• World Languages (statewide)

Source: US Department of Education, Teacher Shortage Areas report, retrieved November 7, 2026.